Is Paper Qualification the Best Investment we can give to our Children?

Fellow parents, did you know that paper qualification is no longer the best investment that we can give to our children? Please do not get offended and let us explain.

Education – Our Investment in our Children
Education is the most important asset that we give to our next generation. Hence, we need to scrutinise the system and judge for ourselves if it is still working well. The current system that we have in Singapore caters much to paper qualification. It creates a false image that our children will succeed and have a good life as long as they have the necessary paper qualification. Is that the case?

If you have read the papers and observe what is going on around you, there is a high chance that you have noticed how innovation and technology are influencing all parts of our lives. Look at the advances in artificial intelligence (AI)! Saudi Arabia has given citizenship to the first AI robot. Japan has created multiple robots with amazing AI capabilities. They even have a robotic dog which response just like a real dog. How about technology that interferes with our daily lives? Take a look at how Facebook changes things and notes why children no longer play outside. Are the children of today different from those of the past?

Children are no different, but their environment is vastly different from ours. The world that they inherit in the future will be different too. Are we preparing our children for the world that they are going to live and work in?

Many will agree that schools in Singapore are progressively doing their best in incorporating innovative and technological skills in their teaching methods. We do not deny that. The increased use of technology such as computers and tablets have helped our children to get in touch with much-needed technology at a younger age. However, it is not enough.

Educating Children for the FutureOur children need an education that teaches them innovation, disruptive technology and an entrepreneurial mindset. We need our children to learn skills that are non-existent now and teach them how to survive in a world which technology and innovation are the number one boss. In that world, paper qualification may not be crucial anymore.

What can we do as parents to make this happen? Stop focusing so much on paper qualification. That is the number one change we can all make as individuals. When we stop asking for a perfect A from our children’s examinations, our children have more time to explore other hobbies. We can enroll them in robotics if they show interest, or perhaps, in an entrepreneur class or a digital art class if they show talents in those areas. We need to move away from the traditional mindset that paper qualification is everything and equipped our children with the right skills to survive a new era where innovation and technology are kings on the same throne.

Singapore, unfortunately, is still lacking behind other countries like Finland and Japan when it comes to innovation and technology in education. As parents, the least we can do for our children is to equip them with the right tools so that they gain an added advantage as an adult.